I'd rather be having a quiet drink... and can be followed on Twitter @alcothusiast; and friended on Untappd (handle: "neilcake" - all welcome).

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

How do you buy whisky as a gift? Part 2

Mrs Cake and I were
discussing Christmas present budgets the other week and, while we’re
comfortably off we agreed that we would have to be a little more cautious this
year. So an upper limit was set. “Just so you know,” continued Mrs Cake, ”I
won’t be buying you any whisky this year.”

Yes, I was slightly
disappointed, but I took it quite well. I probably will get some whisky from someone, but even so, I know we’re going
to Canada for Christmas and that I’ll be looking to pick some whiskies up there
anyway, so in all honesty, I didn’t really need
to receive any as a present. I’m thinking one to drink while I’m there, a
bourbon and a Canadian whisky to bring back, possibly along with a Canadian
pomace brandy to if I can find one.

A couple of days
later, Mrs Cake said “I wouldn’t know how
to buy you whisky anymore anyway. I used to just go into a shop and ask for a
recommendation, but now you’ve tried so many more and there are ones you like
and ones you don’t like – I just wouldn’t know what to go for.”

Well, I don’t ever
want anyone to be discouraged from buying me whisky, so having already written
a beginner’s guide for buying whisky as a gift (see last week), it occurred to
me that I had some advice for Mrs Cake, and that you might be able to benefit
from it too. So, how do you buy whisky as a gift for someone who is enthusiastic about whisky?Here are some suggestions for things
you can do.

Determine whether there is a genre of whisky that they are less
familiar with, e.g. bourbon, Irish, Indian, grain (many whisky enthusiasts
are yet to try a single grain whisky). Yes it requires a bit of research
(read: ask them), but you can find a way to do it without giving the game
away. Even if you give the game away, it’s just going to make them look
forward to getting some whisky for Christmas.

Find out if they have an absolute favourite that they would be happy
to receive all the time – I, for example, am known to be a fan of the Caol
Ila 12, but I never buy it for myself because there is always something
else I want to try. It makes sense then, that for me Caol Ila 12 would
make a perfect gift [hint, hint].

Still not sure? Try this: new whisky expressions are being released
all the time, so one thing you can do is get a new expression. Your local
whisky specialist should be able to point something out, or there’s Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange or Single Malts Direct.

If that doesn’t help, or it doesn’t narrow down your choices enough,
or you’re having trouble
choosing between candidates… just get one that is non chill-filtered
and/or greater than 40% ABV. If it isn’t chill-filtered, that alone is
cause for celebration for a whisky enthusiast, while I just find whiskies
bottled at higher strength more intriguing.

Now, some people say
there is no such thing as bad whisky. I don’t subscribe to that view, having
had one or two bad ones in the past, but the important thing to remember is
that different people experience the same whiskies in many different ways, such
that no matter how much preparation you do, you can never be absolutely sure
you’re going to score a hit with your purchase, hopefully these suggestions
prove useful to you in some way. I would be delighted to hear whether they did
or if you have anything to add.

There are now just
two weeks before we head to Canada for Christmas, so that means just two more
posts before 2014. Next week is likely to be a photo feature about a
drink-related activity Mrs Cake and I indulged in last Christmas. Come back and
join me for that.

Definitions

What happens when you zone out after having had a cheeky lunchtime pint.

Alcothusiast:

Not an alcoholic, someone who appreciates booze.

Anxiety, The:

The uneasy feeling that accompanies any noteworthy hangover.

Booze Buffet Mentality:

The propensity people have to go nuts whenever there's a free bar.

Booze Porn:Photos of alcohol.

Bread Chest:Not booze related, but this term describes the indigestion you get from eating too many bread products too quickly. Just putting it out there...

Crawler's Block:The inability to decide where to go next during a pub crawl - often resulting in crawl stagnation and someone saying, "shall we just have another one here?"

Crawl Stagnation:The result of failing to plan a pub crawl sufficiently - lack of a route, theme or over-familiarity with nearby pubs can all be contributing factors.

Excess Induced Alcohol Aversion:An intolerance for a drink caused (usually) by one occasion of overindulgence.

The Family:My whisky collection.

MOMA:

Moment of Maximum Appreciation. Every bottle has one. It's the time you drink it where you enjoy it most.

Old Man Pub:Traditional British pub, renowned for being quiet, cosy and frequented by old men. Much favoured by people who like a nice chat while they drink.Psychological Drinks Cabinet:Collective term relating to the kinds of alcoholic drinks a person has need for.Road Beers:

Cans of beer that you take with you when you go out, to consume on the way.

The 3 Types of Rum:White, gold and dark. Together they form the base of many a great cocktail.

About Me

Neil Cake is interested in all types of booze, but is by no means an authority or expert. Most of the time he's just trying to be funny, but he is learning, and enjoys sharing his adventures and what he learns on the Drink it How You Like it blog.
Thengyuverrymuuuuuch.